...to my grandpa: My faithful blog reader and the main person I did this for. Who fought in 2 wars and passed away 2 days ago. You surely will be missed. Thank you for your service, and your love.
...to my dad: Also a faithful blog reader. You often hear the saying "Once a Marine, always a Marine"...my dad is the leader of this example. He's been out of the service for 20-something years and is just as proud to be a Marine as he ever was. Thank you dad and I love you.
...to my other grandpa's, uncles, and friends: Thank you for risking your lives and possible shedding your blood for a country who takes it for granted. May there continue to be brave men and women like you because I fear the day that there isn't.
I will leave you with a quote:
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.
(don't laugh at my futile attempt to use my short arms)
Today marks mine and Aaron's 4 year anniversary. Can you believe it?...because I surely can't!
Hopefully the next 50 are just as great as the first 4. Don't get me wrong, we've had our struggles and I'm sure we will have our fair share more, but the last 4 years have been the happiest of my life so far. I pray God blesses our lives together and helps us grow together as one. Love you babe. Thank you for ALL your hard work and love, and most of all, putting up with me (because we all know it takes someone special to do that!). XOXO
I recently dove head first into the business world of photography. Why? I think because I found something that I was good at and something that I loved so much that it wasn't work so why the heck not? It was kind of like a domino's train. After the first domino fell over it started a chain reaction that I rode all the way up until now.
I recently had someone remove a single domino from my train....which made me come to a screeching halt. I had made the mistake of putting one foot into the business world and leaving the other one out. This proved to be my demise. I learned that you can not be both a no-nosense, take no crap, business woman who sticks to her legal guns and rules and a kind hearted person trying to help someone out at the same time. Why? The business side is ruthless, it will sneak over and contaminate your kindness if you don't guard it completely. Words get said that that cut your kind heart and scar you. They make you bitter.
Quite honestly, I'm the type of person that being bitter makes me mad. So what am I going to do? The weak thing: Cower away from photography and go into hiding, never to take a professional picture again? If you know me...then this would NOT have crossed your mind.
I am...going to take a step back. Finish my photography school, take some business classes, keep working under the best mentor/boss I could have, and work on getting to a point in my life where starting a business is possible.
I will come back with a vengance and succeed...because that's who I am.
For now, I am going to enjoy my life and practice my passion....you are always welcome to be my subject. :)
My internet is down....again. So since I need the internet I went out on a limb and became a starbucks member so that I can use thier awesome WIFI. Unfortunately I feel guilty just walking in and using it so I am forced to buy my favorite "iced carmel machiatto." mmmmmm
This could become a very bad bad BAD habit!
(I'm also kind of enjoying/getting annoyed by the mass amounts of drama going on in the baristas high schooler-ish lives)
I thought I was done with homework!...until my buddy Jess decided to create a blog called "Photo Freak" (featured to the right----------------->) where...yep, there is homework! Todays?to take a picture of yourself. and guess what? I only took one!!!
I joined a blog called "Make it and Love it"(featured to the right) ... this is my next big project that will add to my housewifing skills. After being inspired by Hook and Thimble designs(soon to be featured to the right) I want to make stuff for Emily and for my house. If you're at all the sewing/crafty typetake the time to look at both of these sites for some inspiration!
Well...if you know me then...you know me! and I might say sorry, but if you know me and you still choose to be here then you must love me. And if all of the above is true then you know that I stick to my guns! Which means I am still being my loving "housewife" self that I am striving so hard to be. Here's a picture of my progress...don't laugh at my cute pose either. It's not my fault my kitchen is too small to take a picture without chopping my head.
P.S. yes...this picture was taken with my computer camera, which means yes...my computer was on the kitchen counter where I would chat and do things like...my blog on my few seconds of down time! Don't judge.
Today was a glorious day. I did absolutely nothing HOWEVER I did make a juicy dinner for my hard working husband, FINALLY followed by my much needed cocktail. Aaron is now putting Emily to sleep so that we can go on a night time walk down the driveway. Goodnight ya'll (kudo's to mexas Jess here). Be sure to tell your significant others how much you love and appreciate them!
As a follow up to my "doing what needs to be done" post a few days ago, I decided to dedicate most of today to cleaning up outside. My father-in-law has an old John Deereride-on lawnmower that actually has quite a bit of history on it.... at some point in Aaron's childhood he actually broke his leg attempting to jump a motorcyle jump with it.He's a genius, what can I say? So it's been broken for. . .quite a while but Willy happened to stumble across a newer one that was broken down. After a week of tinkering with it he was able to rig the parts from the old one to the new one and pay $0.00 for a (pretty much) brand new lawn mower. Awesome because we don't have any "lawn" but a jungle of {very beautiful and blooming} weeds. Unfortunatly the pollen count this year is a good 30 times what it's ever been and it's killing me. So I took the liberty today to take care of out little pollen problem.
I spent a good 8 hoursmowing and cleaning up everything outside and around the house. Here's some pictures:
Uncle Matt and Emily helping mom.
My blister. The result of a long day of hard work...
In light of my last touching post, I felt the need to post something a little more....me.
I just had an epiphany. Emily always screams bloody murder when I try to take her shirt off. I've never understood this. I thought maybe she was clausterphobic like her mom and didn't like her face covered. I thought maybe it had something to do with her not wanting to "miss a fart in a windstorm" (quote curtousy of my mom...I heard that ALL the time growing up). Then it hit me!
She has a Watermelon Head!
(image - google images)
I knew this, of course. Every time Emily goes to the doctor she's "off the charts" in everything but her weight.
Tonight is Hamburger Helper night. Luckily I was fortunate enough to find 2 things that Emily loves, Hamburgers and Cheese, all in one handy box.
I have a question for all you mom's out there: Why is it so easy to be a mom when dad's aren't home?Of course I don't mean this literally, but more mentally. This is the first time since Aaron and I have been married that he has left me for more than one day. I know....it sounds pretty patheticbut what can I say? We love eachother. And for some reason I have found it miraculously easy to get all of my house-wife duties done and take care of Emily AND do all the things that he is usually responsible for (i.e. cook [because God has blessed with with a husband that enjoys doing so], mowing the lawn, cleaning up outside, doing basic yard work, fixing some holes in the wall, painting) without him home. I did ,however, find out that I need to take a basic woodshop course. When presented with a fence with a hole in it, I found myself starring longingly at it trying to figure out what tools in Aaron's shed could possibly help me solve this problem. I eventually gave up. I also decided that either single mother's are Superwomen(and I know a few where is very plausible) or they have a really nice neighbor of the opposite sex who comes over and does the "man work".
So why has it been easier?Is it because when he's here I subconsciously rely on him to do things for me, so I don't just do them myself, but thencomplain when they aren't done? Is it possible that the time that we spend together or in front of the TV is somehow hindering my will to do other things? Or is that now, because he's gone, I have the mindset that it's either do it or die (literally...dinner for instance)I'm not sure what the answer is, but I do know this:I have impressed myself and shown myself what I am capable of this weekend. Maybe instead of griping at my husband to do things, I should just take matters into my own hands and do them myself, thus leading by example and showing him how much I love him by doing things for him. Maybe in return he will do the same for me. I might have actually solved something here! However I know that being humble and quietis going to be key, but then again we all know how humility works in a marriage... and if you know me, well, being "quiet" isn't really my thing. God help me!
I'm going to put this theory to the test and see what happens. I know it's going to be difficult to change a 4 year habit, but we shall see. I'm going to leave you with a great video that a friend of a friend posted on her facebook. Goodnight all! My husband comes home tomorrow!!Pray for me and maybe (if you believe in it)toss a little luck my way too!
